NYC public schools update math curriculum after pushback from teachers union
New York City public schools are updating a controversial math curriculum after the teachers union raised concerns about a lack of prerequisites — the second time since Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos took over the system that she has loosened such a requirement.
In a memo Wednesday obtained by the Daily News, Aviles-Ramos announced up to two weeks of flexibility for schools to move through the curriculum initiative, known as 'NYC Solves,' at the pace of their students.
Teachers were told to prioritize completing each unit over 'every activity in every lesson,' and plan class sessions according to sections. Last month, a small group of United Federation of Teachers members helped create guides on each of the sections for teachers to follow. As of Wednesday afternoon, those guides had yet to be shared, teachers said.
The changes appeared to axe a requirement that students take an ungraded, short quiz at the end of each class, which was intended to help teachers plan for their next sessions: 'The completion of cool-downs may vary based on instructional timing,' the memo read.
'Implementing a new curriculum is a significant undertaking, and we deeply appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our educators,' read the letter, co-signed by the heads of the teachers and principals unions. 'We are committed to continuous engagement with educators in the field and our labor partners.'
According to the latest data, only 53% of the city's public school students were proficient in math on state exams.
In an effort to boost lagging test scores and standardize instruction across grades and schools, high schools across the city are in the process of adopting a single, uniform program known as 'Illustrative Math.' By the end of this school year, the majority of Algebra 1 students are expected to use the curriculum from the company Imagine Learning.
For middle schools, local districts will choose from pre-approved curricular options that also includes Illustrative Math, which encourages students to use reasoning over memorization. This school year, eight out of 32 geographic school districts are participating in the initiative.
But the UFT has railed against the rollout, saying the current system has not equipped students with the skills they need to be ready for the packaged curriculum.
Wednesday's update followed key changes made in December to a literacy curriculum mandate by Aviles-Ramos's predecessor, former Chancellor David Banks. The overhaul of how city schools teach young children how to read was widely considered the signature work of his tenure.
The Education Department did not immediately return a request for comment. But Aviles-Ramos has insisted the adjustments made since she suddenly took the reins from Banks, who was pushed out early by Adams in response to federal investigations swirling City Hall, are not a break with his vision, but build on the initiatives he started.
'Part of what makes curriculum implementation challenging is balancing the need for teachers to modify the curriculum for their students without sacrificing rigor and coherence,' read the memo.
As part of the updated guidance, the school system is encouraging teachers to use supplemental materials and 'unit adaptation' packs that recognize what city teens know how to do. Professional development sessions will also be available to teachers on how to effectively modify the curriculum.
'These updates are a step in the right direction,' UFT President Michael Mulgrew said in an email to members Wednesday, 'as we continue to push the DOE to respect your time and expertise while providing you with the support you deserve.'
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Four years ago, a chorus of fellow New York Democrats called on then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign amid sexual harassment allegations, saying he was not fit to lead the state. Now, a growing group of them are endorsing him for mayor of New York City. On Friday, mayoral candidate and progressive state Sen. Jessica Ramos became the latest former Cuomo critic to endorse his bid, following at least three members of Congress and additional local politicians who are lining up behind Cuomo for mayor despite once calling on the then-governor to resign. It's an arc reminiscent of of the Republican Party's turnaround on President Donald Trump between the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and his 2024 presidential comeback, which saw many Republican critics from 2021 fall in line. 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In a story published on Friday, Ramos told The New York Times that Cuomo is "the one best positioned right now to protect this city" as Trump is "threatening to bulldoze New York." It's a stunning reversal from Ramos' criticism of Cuomo from just weeks prior, when she told the New York Post that Cuomo's "mental acuity is in decline," comparing him derisively to former President Joe Biden. In 2021, after Cuomo's resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, Ramos posted on social media that "New Yorkers deserve better than a man who has played politics with our lives for a decade & couldn't see beyond his ego." Asked about the change of heart Friday, Ramos told reporters that her endorsement "is not about forgiveness or about forgetting anything. This is a very sober take about where we are in this race and the type of leadership that is required at a time when I need workers and I need immigrants protected. I am not going to vacillate at the type of leadership that we need at such a critical juncture for our city." She's not the only New York Democrat to back Cuomo after a previous call to resign. Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres, Gregory Meeks and Adriano Espaillat all signed onto joint statements in 2021 that called on Cuomo to resign; now, all of them have endorsed Cuomo's mayoral bid. It's the same story for at least five state or local politicians now in Cuomo's corner after calling on him to resign. Representatives for all three members of Congress did not reply to requests for comment. Cuomo's 2021 resignation was a stunning turn of events for the governor, whose prominent role in the state's pandemic recovery made him a darling of many in the Democratic Party. Making the decision after an investigation by the state attorney general found he sexually harassed almost a dozen women, including his own employees, and broke laws, Cuomo said that he never would 'intentionally disrespect a woman' but did acknowledge he 'made mistakes.' He's since fought some of the allegations in court and more recently, he told The New York Times that 'if i had to do it again, I wouldn't have resigned." Like Ramos, many of these endorsements specifically point to the former governor's past experience, his record of leadership and what the endorsers say is a need at this specific moment for the city. In Espaillat's endorsement of Cuomo, he specifically says that there's "so much at stake for the city of New York" right now and the city needs 'a strong and proven leader who will work to bring solutions to the most pressing issues facing New York City," before coming to the conclusion that "Cuomo is the clear choice." Torres' endorsement touts a similar note, pointing to his "competence and courage," noting that Cuomo "has the courage to stand up to extremist politics — both from the far left and the far right." Some voters who want to give Cuomo another shot agree. Carmen Perez, a 55-year-old city resident who spoke to NBC News earlier this month about her vote, said that she'd give Cuomo a second chance because "I've seen what Cuomo can do." "During the pandemic, he literally took over and said: This is how we're going to do, this is how we're going to get through this," she said. "If we're in a crisis, he's the guy." The politics of it all, and the unique dynamics of the mayoral race, loom large over the decisions by key New York City Democrats to line up behind a candidate. While Cuomo is seen as the front-runner in the Democratic primary, anti-Cuomo Democrats and candidates have been looking to strengthen the coalition against him by encouraging people not to rank Cuomo in any of their slots on the June ranked-choice ballot. Under this system, voters select their top five choices, in order, and votes cast for the lowest finishing candidates are redistributed to subsequent choices during multiple ballots until someone wins a majority. Also this week, progressive New York City Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Cuomo's top opponent, progressive state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, while also noting she would rank other candidates, and not Cuomo, to fill out the five slots on the ballot. For Democrats who believe Mamdani may be too liberal, or worry that he might not fare as well against current Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent now that many Democrats have turned on him after Trump's Justice Department stopped prosecuting him for corruption, Cuomo might seem like the best option. "With Eric Adams now out of the primary, it's only Andrew Cuomo who stands in the way of progressives taking power, and that's bolstered his candidacy," Smikle said. "A lot of institutional players in the city of New York who are concerned about progressive politics in the city and need him as the firewall against that." This article was originally published on
